


What was Bernard thinking?

by gyuumajo



Category: Westworld (TV)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23342962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyuumajo/pseuds/gyuumajo
Summary: [Spoilers for Westworld Season 3 Episode 2]Did he actually want to do it well?Was he just programmed to do so?Did he want to do something else?Bernard's thoughts during the episode
Relationships: Bernard Lowe & Ashley Stubbs
Kudos: 16





	What was Bernard thinking?

**Author's Note:**

> I had about 300 words of feels.  
> Now I have almost 800 words.
> 
> No beta as usual. Let me know if you spot anything off.

Bernard was surprised--no, shocked by the utter lack of self preservation Stubbs had. If he knew anything about human nature, it is that they will do anything they can to make sure they survive. Survive long enough to propagate, to prosper, to flourish even under the harshest environments. That was why he made sure he encoded his… creations, such as it was. 

But there he was, drooling blood and stuttering like a skipping record. 

“I missed.” Stubbs had said.

Ignoring the gory looking wound, Bernard saw that the bullet trajectory was indeed slightly off. Had he hesitated in his last moments? Bernard had never seen Stubbs hesitate for as long as he knew him. If anything, he always looked like he was pretty much just about done with everyone and everything but he’d never wavered when it came time to do his job. He admired that about Stubbs. The man had a purpose and wanted to do it well. 

Did he actually want to do it well? Was he just programmed to do so? Did he want to do something else? Bernard can’t imagine Stubbs going around the park corralling rowdy visitors and thinking he wanted to be one of the hosts in the park’s narrative. Did he? 

There is a simplicity to being a host, Bernard supposed. A fixed set of responses, a fixed set of scenarios. He did try to make sure the hosts were equipped to handle the unpredictability of humanity as much as possible. And if not, there’s always the techs to wipe the hosts and security to protect them.

Bernard patched Stubbs back as best as he could. Stubbs had that world weary look on his face while he waited for feeling to return to his limbs. Like he had expected his role to end. Like he wanted it to end. But Bernard was still here. So Stubbs cannot stop until Bernard escapes again. Like he was programmed to. Bernard wanted to ask Stubbs if that was the case but Stubbs was already out the door.

“It’s my job to protect you. Get you what you need and wrap things up.”

~

It was nice having someone watching your back. Especially now when he needed to access the higher levels. He had been roughing it outside the park, double and triple checking himself and his surroundings. Stubbs was right to warn him about all the extra techs and security on those floors. But as long as Stubbs was with him, Bernard can rest easy.

"This is why I’m looking forward to retirement."

There it is. Bernard wasn’t sure if Ford put that line of thinking in Stubbs or that trait formed because of how he was programmed. Did Ford even bother to code a personality for Stubbs? Surely he must have. The other man just quipped like a pro. But Bernard can’t afford to think too much on that right now. Scanning his entire system is going to take more time than Bernard had anticipated but he had to do it. Stubbs was still with him. Bernard can do this.

~

He came back to a gentle touch. Bernard eyed the wet patch on Stubbs' jacket. The smell of iron and gunpowder in the room clued him in as to what happened. 

“We need to go.”

~

“Show me,” Bernard asked once they towed the hidden boat towards the shoreline. Even though Stubbs had to do it one-handedly, he still made more headway than Bernard did when he landed on the beach by himself earlier that day.

Stubbs unzipped his jacket slowly, keeping his face stony. Only the slight tensing around the corner of his eyes gave him away. Well, at least Ford made sure his physiological responses are normal. The red puckered skin around the wound looks painful but it’s a clean shot. Stubbs didn’t seem too worried about it at least so Bernard didn’t start fussing. He can fix that. Probably. He might have to barter for parts when they leave the park though.

“You can set off to find him and I’ll retire myself once you make it to the fishing vessel.”

Oh. Stubbs had no intention of leaving the park with him. Was that Stubbs' plan all along? Was that part of his program too? Once again, Bernard was reminded that Stubbs was not coded by him. But he can be. Bernard was pleased to find what he was looking for. Instead of starting from scratch, all he had to do was activate a subroutine that should have been turned on in the first place. Damnit Ford. 

"You wanted my help, you could’ve just asked for it"

Bernard couldn't stop the grin on his face. He's gonna make sure no one can edit Stubbs' sense of humor. 

~

End

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank Westworld Season 3 for the Bernard & Stubbs roadtrip show. I can't wait.


End file.
